Seems the Buganda tribe are behind it, in support of ``occupied Buganda``, where SW radios started selling like hotcakes with reports that this webcast would now be on SW (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** ALBANIA. Further R. Tirana A-10 monitoring: March 30 at 2000 no signal on 13640, finally came on at 2005 after one brief false start, then joined English program in progress.

March 31 at 0031, 9860 opening English, good signal better than yesterday. Surprised at next check 0050 to find it still going in what is supposed to be a 15-minute broadcast. Maybe it started over at 0045 as I recall noticing on the webcast. Now there is adjacent QRM from at least as strong 9855, which is IBB SRI LANKA, 250 kW at 20 degrees, 0000-0100. Not sure when Tirana went off, but before 0100. 0230 on 7425, poor reception.

The 1430 broadcast on 13755 overlaps a bit with its successor, CRI at 1500. March 31 at 1457 just as R. Tirana was saying its broadcast was ending, on came stronger carrier causing a rippling subaudible heterodyne, with Chinese lessons in English, which often occupy the final few minutes of CRI hours.

Overlap was less than a minute with R. Tirana`s closing theme, so not a major loss and not worth changing frequency because of. Then CRI cut audio and stayed on open carrier until 1500 timesignal, IS and opening in Chinese. This is 308 degrees from Kashgar to Europe, but also US (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA. Firedrake March 31: at 1353, poor on 13500, very poor on 8400 and good on 10400, all // (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** ECUADOR. 3810-LSB, HD2IOA, at last free of QRhaM, March 31 at 0559:40 with ID in this dekasecond rather than time announcement. It`s not as loud and clearly modulated as the latter, but I could copy fragments: ``del Instituto Oceanográfico de la Armada. . . para el territorio continental del país``, apparently meaning denizens of their Columbus Archipelago are not supposed to listen to it? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** JAPAN. Altho NHKWNRJ has abolished the Sackville relay on 11705 for English at 1400-1430, it remains on 11705 direct from Yamata back to Asia; that was audible with fair reception March 31 at 1410 check, but no longer a loud and reliable signal here, yet the best we can do at this hour with the only two remaining parallels inaudible. Now we are apprehensive about new fiscal-year programming changes imminent (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** PRIDNESTROVYE. V. of Russia imagines it is on 9665, in English to North America at 2300-0200 per their own website A-10 schedule. NOT: nothing there at 2315 check March 30, and from 00 to 02, 9665 carries Radio PMR instead! It is the `Grigoriopol` transmitter site as usual in A-seasons, ex-6240 in B-seasons. From 0030 March 31 I checked sometime during each quarter hour to determine language rotation and got:

0030 German, 0045 English, 0100 French, 0115 German, 0130 French, 0145 German. You`d think they would have a bit more English instead of German to N America; I suppose there was before 0030. Presumably this runs UT Mon-Fri only.

Signal was sufficient at first, but had faded considerably and was fluttery by 0200, when it switched to VOR in English // 15425; see RUSSIA [and non].

PMR`s language rotation is not firm: on UT March 29, Joe Hanlon in NJ monitored 9665: English at 0000, 0045 and 0130, French at 0015, 0100 and 0145, and German at 0030 and 0115 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** RUSSIA [and non]. V. of Russia English to North America schedule claims to be on 9665 at 2300-0200, but it is NOT. Off the air before 0000 and then two hours of Radio PMR; see PRIDNESTROVYE. Monitoring March 31 from before 0200, found 15425 at 0157 with tune-up tone and then open carrier, 0159 VOR IS, 0200 opening in English, and 9665 via Kishinov switched simultaneously from PMR to VOR, about one second ahead of 15425, which is 65 degrees via Petropavlovsk/Kamchatskiy.

After 0200, VOR 9665 is listed for Latin America, leaving ONLY 15425 for North America, but 9665 may still hold up better in much of our continent. 15425 had declined to poor by 0230. Question is, whether VOR is axually on some other frequency in English to us before 0200? Please, just one? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SUDAN [non]. Checking 15710, new frequency for Miraya FM via IRRS via SLOVAKIA, at 14-17: March 31 at 1357 found lo audible het between its carrier, and Cairo`s Indonesian service. At 1359 Miraya music started, and Cairo carrier stayed on until 1401, then Miraya in clear, Arabic dialect. Bothered by some SSB on 15708 around 1432 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A [non]. 17550, hard rock at 2016 March 30, soon identified in French as having been Radiohead, and on to Vegetable. It`s VOA`s French service via BONAIRE, now scheduled 1830-2030, 250 kW due east to Africa, but considerable leakage USward; seems VOA devotes a lot of French airtime to playing rock music, in English when there are lyrix; why? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 9775-SSB, 2-way Spanish intruders here at 1441 March 31, whistling into mike. At least they found a frequency clear of broadcasters at the moment (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 15868 approx., March 30 at 2018, as I tuned by caught snatch of American YL in SSB with position report. Did not have time to pinpoint frequency, but kept monitoring for more than a semihour, and only heard occasional ute digital bursts likely from same transmitter, and at 2037 missed another very brief SSB voice transmission. Plus or minus 2 kHz (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###

martedì 30 marzo 2010

** ALBANIA. Checking the new frequency for R. Tirana, English to North America, Mon-Sat 1430-1500, 13755: March 30 at 1427 open carrier is on at S9+15, no adjacent or co-channel interference, and equidistantly far enough from the Cubans on 13740 and 13770. Only slight normal fading. 1428:30 the IS starts, and 1430 crossfade to sign-on, the first two minutes with musical background, as always taken up by announcing the complete English schedule, which has been accurately updated for A-10:

This does not mean it`s 7 days a week to NAm, merely that the first broadcast of the week is on Monday at 1430 and the last until 0400 UT Sundays!

Then program summary including news, press review, interview with experts, and into the news (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA. Firedrake March 30: only found on 8400 and very poor at 1338 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA [and non]. 13710, CRI English on new frequency at 1412 March 30, about two sex behind // 13740 via Cuba, and way over AIR GOS in English already on 13710 at 1330-1500; could barely hear its music underneath // 9690. In fact, the AIR sesquihour is now totally blocked by CRI via Kashgar, EAST TURKISTAN, to Europe at 13-14 French, 14-15 English. Bangalore aims in opposite direxion to SE Asia, Indonesia, Philippines, so theoretically no problem in targets. However, as real SW listeners know all too well, SW transmissions are NOT unidirexional but go off the back and to a large extent the sides of a beam too.

CRI 13710 also blox the leapfrog from Cuba of 13770 over another CRI relay on 13740, which dumped off the air for less than a minute at 1414, uncovering something in Russian, i.e. BBC via CYPRUS (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA [and non]. 7405, R. Martí with no jamming at all, March 30 at 0531, good but somewhat `hollow` signal from Greenville at this hour. DentroCuban Jamming Command must be confused. Still heavy jamming on 6030, and no RM audible there. Also residual pulse jamming against nothing on 7365, an RM channel only at 00-04.

6010, as I tuned across March 30 at 0535, weak signals clashing, assumed to be Mexico and Colombia with RHC missing again --- but no, RHC is still on there, with giveaway news sounder, in English, but remarkably weak. // 6060 much stronger but ACI from Spain 6055, // 6140 stronger and clearer still, but undermodulated. So all three RHC English frequencies are defective in one way or another.

5040, RHC in Spanish at 0539 March 30. This frequency is from the squealing transmitter, // synchronized 6150 and an echo apart from // 6120.

13680, missing at several chex lately, back on with big signal March 30 at 1410 with RHC Voces de la Revolución hoary speech. During Fidel pauses, can tell it`s a squealing transmitter. 13680 is necessary in order to produce the leapfrog over // 13780 landing on 13880, audible again (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also CHINA [and non]

** INDONESIA. 9526-, VOI with Exotic Indonesia remote from Banjarmasin, since it`s Tuesday, March 30 at 1341 with a lexure about the place, but hard to copy, with hum, heavy flutter, and only fair modulation. 1354 song reminiscent of Bee-Gees. 1356 other announcers easier to understand discussing chocolate, but 1357 blasted by big het and shortly prélude from CRI on proper 9525.0 about to start DV Russian via SZG site also USward (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DGIEST)

** NEW ZEALAND. 6170, RNZI great to hear with no more co-channel QRM, which they took no steps to avoid during the entire B-season, March 30 at 1330 with Pacific news. Contrary to my previous remark, still good signal today at this hour, but no doubt will be losing out to more absorption as our sun rises earlier and earlier.

Try alternate Mondays from April 5 for Mailbox at 1329. On April 4, domestic relay times shift one UT hour later with the end of DST DU (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** PERU. 6019.3, R. Victoria dominating at 0603 March 30, ID with Beethoven`s Fifth music bed, plugging Semana Santa events, such as siete palabras de Jesús, which I guess would have been ``Padre, perdónalos, que no saben qué hagan``, had Spanish been invented a bimillennium ago. But did this really work out to be seven words in Aramaic?? At first no het at all, then barely one from some station properly on 6020.0.

6019.3 must have just been cleared as in A-10, CRI via Sackville is on 6020 at 04-06 (and also via Albania at 00-04), plus REE via Costa Rica at 00-04.

** ROMANIA [and non]. 7310, BBCWS with African news in English, March 30 at 0532, 328 degrees via SOUTH AFRICA, would have been good here, were it not for the bane of QRDRM from 7305 RRI, now in 0530-0600 English to Europe, 300 degrees via Galbeni, so also USward, and the noise spreading 7300-7310. Way to go, frequency coördinators! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** RUSSIA. 15425, VOR in English to NAm back on an A-season frequency, March 30 at 0332 interviewing someone about the Moskva subway bombings; fair signal.

VOR is under the mistaken impression that they are on 9665 before 0200, while Joe Hanlon et al., report that Radio PMR is being heard until 0200, and it is the Pridnestrovye relay site. Note that only ONE frequency is allegedly on the air at any hour for us now, but is it ZERO before 0200 or somewhere else than 9665?? Remember the good old days of Radio Moscow with 15 or 20 frequencies at once?

After 0500 I could just hear a trace of 13775, but both that and 15425 should improve as solstice oncomes. They are both hitting us from the northwest, DVR sites, 250 kW Pet/Kam on 15425 and 100 kW Vladivostok on 13775 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** TURKEY. 5975, V. of Turkey new frequency for English to N America at 0300-0350v: sufficient March 30 at 0330 check during music. // 6165 for Asia is totally blocked by RNW Spanish via Bonaire, and the Canadian relay originally planned for 7325 has been deleted.

Note that the DX Corner starting as early as 20 minutes into the hour, on this transmission should now be heard fortnightly on UT Saturdays instead of Sundays, per announcement on latest show, the next to be on April 10 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. WTWW has been off the air a lot lately, rather than 24 hours, but March 30 at 1340 it was back on 9480 with PPP. Seems to have been more active on night channel 5755 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A [non]. 15530, weak VOA English at 1417 March 30 plugging voanews.com where you may sign up for free e-mail news summaries, and then American Global College Forum at this minute every Tuesday, about an exchange student in Oklahoma. I assume it`s this Mongolian who has asterisks pasted on her face, tho A.G.C.F. is not mentioned: http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/american-life/people/OklaStateUniv30Mar10-89505792.html15530 is via Biblis, GERMANY at 14-16. It was running a couple words behind Tinang, PHILIPPINES on better 9760 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###

1845-1900 English: 13640 at 1850 fair on portable in a strip mall parking lot, should be good on FRG-7; not audible on 7520 intended for Europe.

2000-2030 English: 13640 at 2025-2028*, S9+18 with music and closing theme; not audible on 7465 for Europe

2030-2200 Albanian: 9490 missing at 2043, altho Sweden English via Madagascar in well on 9495. 9490 had come on by check at 2146, fair signal with distorted overmodulation in talk. Off at 2200* after part of anthem.

No interference problems; WTWW 9480 not on the air, but when it is, likely to blot out 9490. // 6165 for Europe of course not audible. I assume in Europe it blox Chad until 2200, but latter stays on another semihour.

2300-0030 Albanian: at 0014, 9860 and 7425 both good, with 9860 somewhat stronger. No adjacent or co-channel interference.

0030-0045 English: 9860 fair with fading, much weaker signal on 9855 no problem. 7425 carrier was still on until 0033; on this date, English would have been better on the lower frequency, but maybe not as summer progresses.

0145-0200 English: 7425 only poor and hard to copy opening with full English schedule. This early in season would probably be better on a clear 49m channel, unlike deep summer.

0230-0300 English: 7425 even weaker than at 0145; but no QRM problems. Strangely, Cairo 9305 was inbooming on similar somewhat longer path; see EGYPT.

0330-0400 English: ditto.

The 1430-1500 English on new 13755 to be checked March 30 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** ARGENTINA [and non]. 15345v, RAE causing slightly wavering het with stronger Morocco, March 29 before 2200; checked again at that hour when Morocco is supposed to be going off, and finally it did at 2203 just in time to hear RAE ID with frequencies in the clear but poor with flutter (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA. RHC`s sporadic English broadcast at 2030-2130 is gone again, March 29: at 2031, 11770 in Arabic and 11760 in Spanish, already with Revista Informativa de la Tarde, which according to their own program schedule http://www.radiohc.cu/espanol/c_programacion/programacion.htm is supposed to be at 21-23 UT Mon-Sat. So apparently it has shifted an hour earlier due to local DST?

Also Spanish on all the other 11 and 13 MHz frequencies, still no English during the following hour on 11760 or anywhere else at 2055 and 2108 chex.

At 2037 March 29, big grinding wall of noise from the DentroCuban Jamming Command is still running on 11600 against no victim ever heard, but allegedly a small Radio República transmitter in Central America, which if they have any smarts, since it is not licensed, anyway, would not keep on that jammed frequency.

And: the jammers have spurs bothering R. Netherlands on 11610, even Spain on 11620 [qq.vv.]. After 2100, at 2104, the jamming diminished to pulsing (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** EGYPT. 9305, March 29 at 2044 and 2130 with muffled and distorted audio in Arabic; at times it sounds like there are two carriers or two modulations mixing, but BFO finds only one carrier.

This is R. Cairo, new frequency for General Program, 1900-0700 via Abis, 250 kW, 315 degrees, i.e. exactly same parameters, including the awful modulation in B-season, as on 6290, which this replaces.

At 0230 March 30, 9305 inbooming displaying the useless audio in all its gory, and nothing on 6290, while 6270 English was much weaker but better modulated only by comparison. 0330 recheck, same for 9305 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

Camping anti-church cultists vs Cupertinists! Both still going at 2242, and even more reason to doubt Rádio Inconfidência, Belo Horizonte is really coming back to 15190. If so, will have its work cut out for it. As far as HFCC and WYFR are concerned, neither other station exists (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** FRANCE [non]. 21690, RFI via GUIANA FRENCH, OSOB, and in fact very good signal at the rather late hour of 2106 UT March 29, in French to W Africa. Scheduled 17-22 at 75 degrees. RFI GUF also VG on 17630 during this semihour in Spanish (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GERMANY [non]. 15640 is the new 19-m frequency for DW in English at 21-22, via RWANDA, and very good at 2109 March 29, better than // 11865. Both are 250 kW, 295 degrees for W Africa, and --- shhh, don`t tell anyone, but 15640 is also destined for Caribbean and eastern North America, CIRAF zones 11 and 8: DW is again overtly broadcasting in English to us! But would the Intendant deny it if asked directly? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KOREA NORTH. Someone was wondering if VOK was off the air. Maybe at some time, but usual sufficient signals on 15180 to North America, March 30 at 0115 check in English, 0230 in Spanish, 0330 in French (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO [and non]. 6185, XEPPM, at 0115 March 30 check, seems to be under open carrier from Brasil, like much bigger open carrier on its // 11780. But at 0145, XEPPM in the clear with Spanish speech (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NETHERLANDS [non]. 11610, RN in English, 280 degrees from RWANDA, Monday March 29 at 2037, good signal but battered by pulsing spurs from DentroCuban Jamming Command on 11600 against nothing, unless Radio República is really there. At 2048 RN program IDed as Network Europe Week, a co-produxion of 13 stations. Jamming toned down after 2100 but by then it was too late. So tnx to the DCJC, would-be RN SW listeners in North America are driven away to online or nothing (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** ROMANIA. RRI`s English broadcast at 2030-2100 for Europe, carrying right on to North America as if it were intended for us too, good signals March 29 at 2039 on 11880 and a reverb apart on somewhat weaker 11940, a good clue these two are from different sites, Galbeni and Tiganeshti, respectively. And 11940 suffering DentroCuban Jamming Command pulsing sideband spurs from 11930 against Martí (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SERBIA [non]. IRS, new 9675, good and clear, no QRM with tired lady in English at 0033 March 30, ex-6190. This is daily except UT Sundays 0030-0100 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SPAIN [and non]. 11620, REE with Spanish music but French announcement Monday March 29 at 2038, bothered by splatter/spurs from DentroCuban Jamming Command on 11600. REE is in French to Equatorial Africa M-F at 20-21 on 11620 and 9690. AIR GOS is supposedly on 11620 too after 2045, aimed southeastward, so I should have checked for that clashing a few minutes later, an old problem. Or not, since AIR is no longer beaming 11620 toward Europe.

Another attempt to confirm the scheduled UT Tuesday 0115-0145 Sephardic broadcast from REE, scheduled on 11795 as announced at 1425 Mondays on 15385: nothing at all audible at 0113-0116 March 30. Nor on alternate 11780, where there was a big open carrier apparently from RNA Brasília. However, Spain`s 11680 was weakish this time. Nothing on another possible alternative either, 9690. At 0143 just before the Sephardic should have ended, still unfound but Brasil now musically modulating 11780.

At 0415 UT Tue March 30, REE Sephardic is loud & clear, really on 9650, the frequency they have been announcing including March 16 when we confirmed it was on 9690 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SWEDEN [non]. 9495, R. Sweden 2030 in English via Madagascar to Africa carries on USward, sufficient signal March 29 at 2043; WTWW missing from 9480 but likely to be a problem for this when it is not missing. Big 9480 carrier did come on at 2100, but gone at next check 2103 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** TURKEY. 9460 nice with Turkish music, March 29 at 2055, but tuned in a bit too late as it cut off at 2056:45*. Scheduled as TRT in Turkish, 16-21 via Çakirlar, 500 kW, 310 degrees (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 9345, new frequency from WWCR at 21-24: March 29 at 2131, VG with preacher; in fact by 2159 ID it was splattering between 9325 and 9365.

A new frequency means numerous new opportunities for harmonics and mixing products, so I compute them with the other four transmitters on air during these two sesquihours, 13845, 9980, 7465 and 1300, i.e. leapfrogs, sums and differences. Checked most of them which might propagate and came up clean so far:28035, 23190, 19235, 18690, 18345, 16810, 11225, 10645, 10615, 8710, 8045, 5585, 4845, 4500, 1880 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A [non]. 9830, March 29 at 2059, good signal from ``Voice of America, Washington DC, signing on`` and into French for Afrique. Good enough to be Greenville, but supposedly São Tomé. Vs. RTTY QRM which is constantly on 9830: another station which just ignores it. After all, the RTTY does not register itself at HFCC, and apparently does not complain about Turkey, VOA, Jordan and the other broadcasting on 9830. Are they all on autopilot? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###

** CHINA [and non]. 13675, huge collision of Chinese vs Chinese at 1509 March 29, and a fast SAH between them. This is CNR1 jamming Radio Free Asia via TINIAN in Mandarin. A similar collision on 12025 at 1518, i.e. R. Free Asia via SAIPAN in Mandarin. Yet more of the same on 9455, also RFA SAIPAN in Mandarin, but whichever one was on top differed between 12025 and 9455 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA [and non]. DentroCuban Jamming Command missed only the first day of R. Martí on A-season frequency 11845: at 1302 March 29 nothing but heavy noise jamming audible, tho RM is supposed to be on there from 13 to 17. OTOH, the RM B-frequency 15330 is now unjammed at 1429 check (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CYPRUS. OTH radar pulsing, March 29 at 1450 on 17522-17538, only broadcaster bothered being something weak on 17555, which must be WYFR not yet inbooming here (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** EGYPT. 15065, March 29 at 1458, open carrier past 1501; 1539 recheck now with weak modulation, M talking slowly. Frequency and modulation are hallmarks of Cairo, and indeed this is now scheduled for Dari and Pashto at 13-16, ex-12170 in B-09, when Pakistan was supposedly using 15065 at this time, but I never heard that. Meanwhile, Cairo Arabic on 15080 with usual terrible crackly modulation. I wonder what the aeronauts think of all these intrusions into their band? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** INDONESIA. 9526-, Monday March 29 at 1326, VOI with flutter, hum and undermodulation, YL English segment tentatively titled ``Focus on the World of Media``, but too poor to copy (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** PHILIPPINES [non]. 15435, March 29 at 1428 open carrier, 1430 IS and opening ``Radio Veritas Asia in Urdu``. Must be Vatican relay, ex-9540 and/or 9585 in B-09. Could clash with Saudi Arabia which comes on 15435 before 1500: yes, at 1456 the two were colliding, first BSKSA with open carrier, rippling SAH, 1457 cut on Arabic modulation but mix only a few sex before RVA stops mod, tho its carrier a while longer.

What about RVA`s Filipino service which follows at 1500, supposed to be on 15350 in A-10 via Vatican? No trace of it at 1500 or 1525 chex, and not on ex-11715 either (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** POLAND [non]. 11675 via AUSTRIA, March 29 at 1258, a bit of fill music as PRES always plays, a snatch of VTC music loop and off by 1259. Seems reception remains OK for English broadcast, but inconveniently for us an hour earlier from 1200 now. Quickly tuned to 11980 but too late to confirm whether that`s the // now via Woofferton, but Mike Barraclough got it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SWEDEN. 13870, R. Sweden in Swedish, good signal at 1516 March 29; and opening English at 1530, sufficient signal here tho aimed 120 degrees from Hörby. Big story today: Volvo becomes Chinese instead of American. (Romantics might interpret the name as meaning ``I shall return``.) Also on 13870 for next English at new time 1700, 125 degrees, insufficient at 1714 check (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 13570, WINB at 1502 March 29 signing on, unstable carrier, 1503 Tony Alamo opening show no. 643. The station with no shame, WINB has also welcomed back to the air, now that he`s out of prison, militia fanatic Mark Koernke, debited with inspiring Timothy McVey to bomb Oklahoma City. Poor Mark; I guess he wasn`t able to keep broadcasting while incarcerated like Bernie does. Feds have just raided some Michigan militians, not clear whether related to Koernke (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 15550-USB, March 29 at 1714 check, just barely audible preacher, so WJHR is still active, pretending to be a SWBC station until the FCC has had enough of this (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###

domenica 28 marzo 2010

** BRAZIL. 4885, March 28 at 0537 as I tuned by, station was giving full ID with ZY callsigns, several frequencies, but hard to copy with noise level and reverb added to the announcement at this odd time. Surely it`s R. Clube do Pará, the usual all-night station unlike the other two Brasilians on frequency (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENNG DIGEST)

** CHINA. Firedrake March 28: at 1310 on 10400; at 1332 on 9365 and no longer audible on 10400; not found anywhere else (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also USA: VOA

** CUBA [and non]. RHC English missing again from 6010, March 28 at 0549 with DXers Unlimited only on 6060 with heavy QRM from Spain 6055, and much better // 6140 in the clear. But Arnie`s voice is raspy, another cold? Pre-recorded studio closing in good voice was a great contrast.

The DentroCuban Jamming Command slow on the uptake as usual, altho Radio Martí seasonal changes are quite predictable. March 28 observations:

At 1250, 5745, jamming but no MartíAt 1250, 6030, Martí good with no jamming audibleAt 1254, 7405 mixing with jamming as RM was plugging periodismo.com with Warsaw Concerto and then playing GuantanameraAt 1259, 9805, R. Martí VG signing off, mentioning 13820, no jamming, carrier with SAH clashes with KSDA [see GUAHAN] until 1302At 1401, 11845, RM reactivated on A-season frequency, VG with no jammingAt 1401, 11930, heavy jamming vs RMAt 1414, 15330, heavy jamming vs nothing as RM has left for season

RHC observations March 28; they typically make seasonal adjustments a week or two later. At 1320 in mailbag on 15360, 15120, 13780, 13770. Not on 13680 any more. At 1431 in news headlines, 15360 with CCI, 15120 much stronger (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GERMANY [non]. As I was trying to sort out the altered lineup of stations in the 15.6-15.7 MHz range March 28 at 1458 and later, I noticed DRM noise covering 15635-15645. This is now scheduled as DW via PORTUGAL, 90 kW, 40 degrees at 14-19. It could be a problem for the only remaining SW service from Israel, Persian at 1400-1630 on 15640, 300 kW, 90 degrees, inaudible here if really on under the noise (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GREECE. VOG is staying on 15630 now instead of 15650, March 28 at 1358, mostly music as usual. Still only Greece at 1530-1535, despite plans by R. Mada, clandestine to Madagascar [q.v.], to use 15630 Sat & Sun at 1530-1600 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GUAHAN. 9805, March 28 at 1300, V. of Hope English ID, into Japanese, but R. Martí Greenville carrier stayed on until 1302, then uncovering KSDA. Once the DentroCubans catch on, 9805 is likely to be jammed also far beyond the Radio Martí hours (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** INDONESIA. 9526-, VOI in English March 28 at 1333 introducing Music Corner. Good signal, sufficient modulation and no adjacent- or co-channel interference now during this hour (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** IRAN [non]. 15650, vacated by Greece for 15630, at 1449 March 28 fluttery talk in Farsi(?), one of the IBB services via SRI LANKA. At 1458:30 another carrier came on causing SAH, then the first one went off at 1459*, a minute of dead air, then from 1500 modulation in Persian, Radio Farda as scheduled per http://www.rferl.org/howtolisten/FRD/ondemand.htmli.e. 1930 local = 1500 UT, and it`s via Lampertheim, GERMANY(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** JAPAN [non]. As we have warned, NHKWNRJ has deleted its morning English relay via Sackville 11705 at 1400-1430. In A-10 that frequency remains on air but from Yamata direct, not audible March 28, nor the reduced number of other channels, 11985 direct or 21560 via France.

The Sackville transmitter has been turned over to a new relay in Japanese on 11655 at 1300-1500, 250 kW at 227 degrees usward, so excellent signal. March 28 at 1350 was playing some Beethoven, 1355 talk; 1435 hard rock. So here`s your station for a wide variety of content in the universal language (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MADAGASCAR [non]. Only Greece on 15630 March 28 at 1530-1535, despite A-10 plans by R. Mada, clandestine to Madagascar, to use 15630 Sat & Sun at 1530-1600. Hope they went somewhere else that`s clear, but have not found them anywhere in this area.

The March 27 broadcast had tone fill when I tuned in ex-15660 at 1555 because R. Mada was only 19 minutes long. Now that channel has been occupied by Channel Africa, SOUTH AFRICA in Swahili at 15-16, heard with IS and ID at 1458 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. 6104.8, bits of Spanish audible with het, March 28 at 0549, no doubt XEQM. It looks like 05-06 is now the best window for this in A-10, after IBB Lampertheim closes, and before BBC Ascension opens. Also another few minutes from 0630 before TWR Nauen opens around 0645, earlied an hour for the summer (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)See also BRAZIL, 6185

** NETHERLANDS [non]. 6080, new frequency for RN 0500 in Spanish via Bonaire, March 28 until 0530* with mailbag in last few minutes. Very big signal at 290 degrees for Mexico and Caribbean, Until uncovered at 0530, totally blocking VOA English via São Tomé from 0500 to 0700.

Last summer`s big 9650 collision of RNW via Tinang, PHILIPPINES and CRI via Sackville, CANADA, has resumed: March 28 at 1327 both stations in English, RN ending show about folk customs with closing credits, the other plugging China Drive whose original time is 5-7 pm [09-11 UT], 365 days per year.

It`s the same old story: no one cared last year, and no one cares this year, so why should I? Axually, I don`t, beyond noting that the stations fail to coördinate to avoid this. The RN transmission is axually in Dutch from 1300, 250 kW at 200 degrees, so they imagine it would have negligible signal way off-target in CNAm.

As usual, Dutch ends at 1327 and the program feed switches to English with whatever show is in progress, about to end, and IBB fails to turn off the transmitter until 1330, after which CRI is in the clear // 15260. CRI, of course, is deserving of no consideration whatsoever due to its own aggressive frequency usage and pervasive jamming (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** RUSSIA. 6075, R. Rossii, Pet/Kam, still here with unstable transmitter, but not motorboating too badly, March 28 at 1251. Perhaps by next day they will get around to the usual A-10 change to 5930, closing an hour earlier at 1300, 100 kW at 15 degrees, and which is much less audible here in the summer (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

And 15650, altho vacated by Greece for 15630, now has at 1449 fluttery talk in Farsi(?), one of the IBB services via SRI LANKA. See IRAN [non] (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** TURKEY. Early versions of the VOT A-10 schedule showed the Sackville relay for English at 03-04 on 7325, like A-09; however, late versions do not. No sign of it at 0315 check March 28, tho it might have been another 24 hours before it would have started. The B-09 Sackville relay frequency 6040 was also missing at 0446 check, and 6020 direct was also absent, just R. Victoria, Perú, on 6020- with wacky wailer David Miranda --- so at that point TRT must have already started the A-10 schedule, which would have had English to North America on new 5975 at 03-04, not checked yet.

After 5 months of nonsense on the 1330 broadcast, clashing with France on 15300, and often poor modulation/signals on 12035, the retimed 1230 English broadcast finally is back on some good frequencies, monitored March 28 at 1318 with Turkish music on strong and clear 15450, and much weaker // 15520. The latter stayed on a few seconds longer than the former with another IS iteration until 1324*.

TRT`s audio files of the Saturday broadcasts were not available until Sunday; then I listened to the 20-33 minute portion of the hour for DX Corner, in which Seref Isler confirmed that the relay exchange deal with CBC had ended. He also announced the A-10 VOT English schedule:

0100??? I think he was confused, as this was the time and frequency originally planned for the relay of RCI in English to Asia via Turkey, probably deleted altogether, but check just in case VOT have put their own English broadcast on there.

Other significant items from the DX Corner: Altho the 2200, ``0100``, and 0300 broadcasts repeat the news originally aired at 1830, the following feature programs will no longer be repeats, but since they are after local midnight, will start airing the *next* day`s programs. (It`s beyond me why they want to confuse things this way.)

Furthermore, due to ``too much of a burden in staffing`` requiring an extra person to be on duty, the Tuesday evening ``flagship`` program Live from Turkey will be cancelled after this week, with usual shows repeating instead. The Thursday afternoon [~1255 UT] LFT will continue.

The extra ``English III`` broadcast which was never on SW, just internet and satellite, at 10 am local time is being dropped as the Albanian service wanted more time.

Also, they do NOT want CDs to be sent with reception reports.

Wolfgang Büschel observes that many of the transmissions via Emirler site have been moved to Çakirlar, perhaps to allow refurbishment of the former (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 6890, March 28 at 0533 with Bible story in English, fair with flutter and much weaker than WYFR 6875, not // more Bible stuff on WWRB 5050. This is about Palm Sunday. WEWN? Yes, has used this frequency before and now is back on their schedule for A-10, at 05-09. With the flutter, backscatter? sounded like it could be coming from afar instead of anear (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A [and non]. VOA English, 7575, March 28 at 1255 concluding Issues in the News panel discussion, but underneath strong open carrier. First it`s Thailand, with Tinang, PHILIPPINES about to take over, but tuning up on same frequency.

9760, CRI continues to thumb its nose at VOA, not only jamming numerous frequencies in Chinese, but deliberately colliding with this English frequency which has been in use by VOA for sesquidecades.

17585, VOA in English discussing terrorist plots, excellent signal at 1418 March 28. Has to be Greenville B reactivated here; 1429 VOA promos, including voaafrica.com and dropped carrier immediately at 1430* followed by very weak unID signal, but must be VOA continuing same English hour, switching sites in the middle of it, to Botswana. Last summer they had a hard time avoiding overlap and self-QRM, but perhaps the DCI on this first day of the A-season indicate real coördination (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** VENEZUELA [non]. Altho the 15-16 UT RNV relay via Cuba on 11680 occurred an hour earlier at 14-15 on March 27, the next day there was nothing on 11680 before or after 15, checked at 1409 and 1509. That`s inconclusive, since it`s often missing altogether Sundays whether or not it`s an Alo, Presidente day. I did not get around to checking for that until 1904, no sign of it then on the five listed frequencies, and daily 19-20 broadcast on 15290 was underway.

BTW, El Hugazo even occupied RHC`s DX program En Contacto, 1335-1350 March 28 on 13780 et al., about inauguration of Radio del Sur (NOT a SW station), and praising RHC for the thousands of hours it has devoted to relaying his rants.

Back to Saturday March 27: since the morning broadcast was unexpectedly an hour early, I checked the following ones and found them all at their normal times: 1900+ on 15290, 2000+ on 17705, 2200+ on 11670 (with QRDRM from 11675 at 2247, likely Kuwait rather than New Zealand); and the same broadcast I had heard at 1401 starting in English, repeated at 2302 as 13680 carrier joined it in progress, // 15250 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. 9335, something is colliding with English to NAm from V. of Korear at 1333 March 28 causing fast SAH; sounds like SE Asian music. IBB`s R. Ashna via Kuwait is not scheduled to start until 1430; however, in B-09, IBB`s R. Azadi, also via Kuwait was using 9335 until 1430, maybe still is? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###

NEW ZEALAND Radio New Zealand Intl-RNZI 17675 2210 English 444 March 26 YL with comments on Soldiers of Zion. OM stating there is now 9billion!!! people on planet Earth!!!!

NORTH MARIANAS Radio Free Asia-RFA 15550 2330 Chinese 333 March 26 Two OMs with comments. YL Jammer heard in the background.

UNITED STATES, SoCarolina Voice of Germany Relay-DW 15640 2250 German 444 March 26 YL and OM plus some choir music. Two OMs with comments 2255. WHRI ID by an OM 2259 and back to VOG. DW ID 2305 by a YL. //11865[333]via Portugal.

sabato 27 marzo 2010

** CHINA. Firedrake March 27: did not search thoroly, but at 1453 encountered on 10400, fair signal, and much better than JBA 8400; none audible in the 9300-9400 area or on the `970s (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA. DentroCuban Jamming Command doing its thing, same pulsing against nothing, March 27 at 0620: on 9955 with WRMI inaudible, 9885 vs absent VOA, and 9810 vs absent Radio República. And more of it on 9565 vs absent Martí, plus spurs around 9545 and 9585.

Strange things are happening with RHC scheduling, making me wonder if they are confused about the DST shift a biweek ago, or have decided to go with the flow rather than keep to UT?

March 27 at 1400 I find 11760 missing, but still on 11730 and 11800. The 11760 transmitter could be the one with open carrier on 11680 about to open relay of Venezuela, q.v., an hour earlier than had been scheduled. At 1415 noticed that frequencies supposed to be on until 1500 were missing: 15360, 15120, 13780, 13680; at 1423 heard only on 13770 above 12 MHz. But at 1448, 11760 was back on while RNV was still on 11680. No RHC frequency announcement heard around 1500 as there used to be (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CYPRUS [and non]. OTH radar pulsing, presumed from here, March 27 at 1421 on 17847-17872 atop some broadcaster on 17850, i.e. BBC Somali via CYPRUS, oops! Still going at 1503, and now the victim is on 17860, i.e. Channel Africa, SOUTH AFRICA in Swahili.

Same sound of OTH radar on 17465-17490, March 27 at 1504 atop Brother Scare via GERMANY on 17485. And then mixing with the huge wideband whining sound centered on 17450 which just cut on at *1505 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. 15190, looking for rumored reactivation of R. Inconfidência, Belo Horizonte, Brasil on 15190, still nothing – but R. Africa, March 26 at 1958 with American preachess wishing ``Happy Thanksgiving`` to listeners and remarking that she is speaking on Black Friday, why call it that?

She apparently has no economic background. (So I can be sure she is American, not Canadian, since there is no such thing as a Black Friday there, unless it`s Black Day-after-Columbus-Day?), and further remarx about orphans in Malawi.

So sermons are delayed about four months in the surface mail to Bata. BTW, does the general African audience have any idea what the American Thanksgiving holiday is about, let alone Black Friday, which could easily be misconstrued as an insult? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** INDIA. 13645, AIR IS at 1513 March 27, fair with flutter, 1515 opening in listed Gujurati via Bengaluru.

Don`t you believe last week`s DX program from Bulgaria which claimed that V. of Southern Azerbaijan had returned to this frequency at 1600. That was lifted from previous DXLD discussion of an unID which turned out to be AIR, and everything about VOSA was historical! Not really heard since 1998 on this frequency nor since 2003 on 9375. March BDXC-UK Communication also misinterpreted that VOSA info was current.

13605, also with AIR IS at 1514 March 27, but not in synch with 13645, as 13605 is about to start Swahili via Bangalore, and not in // when both started talking at 1515.

At 1517 found 15175 with extremely distorted South Asian music, modulation cutting on and off while S9+15 carrier stayed on with flutter, and it`s // 13645 which has identical modulation cuts, also during talk at 1519, then back to music. But 15175 is via Panaji, GOA site (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** LAOS [non]. 11785, tuned in WHRI just in time at 1329 Saturday March 27 to confirm that Hmong World Christian Radio has shifted another hour earlier to 1300; bit of Hmong talk and 1330 into Call to Worship, off after 1400 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MADAGASCAR. 6135, another check for RTM, March 27 at 1409: something`s there with talk rather than music, but too weak vs high noise level. My logs do correlate with David Sharp`s, who was getting this a week earlier at 1350 on 7105.008 // 6134.954, from New South Wales, right along the long-path to me (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MADAGASCAR [non]. One last A-10 check for R. Mada International, clandestine via PRIDNESTROVYE, which has been running Sat & Sun 1530-1600 on 15660: March 27 at 1555 just continuous tone-test on frequency, so lost feed? From March 28 I imagine Mada will show on a different frequency in the area if it still exist (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NEW ZEALAND. 6170, RNZI, March 27 at 1411 with heavy QRM in Chinese from Voice of Russia, as has been the case all B-season since RNZI has refused to find a clearer channel. At least beginning A-10, RNZI stays on 6170 and even expands it to 0659-1058 and 1259-1550 with 9655 in between. And the 6170 QRM should be gone! Altho 6 MHz after 1300 is no longer of much use this far into the dayside (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SPAIN [and non]. REE with big S9+15 signals on 21610 // 21570, March 27 at 1507 talking about some award, and Cáceres 2016. Googling indicates that this place aspires to be European Capital of Culture in that year; yet is primarily known for basketball. Meanwhile, Saudi`s remaining 13m signal after 1500, 21460, was JBA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTNEING DIGEST)

** SUDAN [non]. 15670, Miraya FM via IRRS via SLOVAKIA presumed, March 27 at 1418 M&W in Arabic dialect discussion, one of them on lower quality phone line. This broadcast has been at 14-17 on 15670, but for A-10 is supposed to resume 15-18 on 15650, or is it 15710? Listen for clashes on 15650 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** TAIWAN. 11875, March 27 at 1457 just tuned in to big signal but undermodulated with kids` choir when it went off at 1457:23*. Per Aoki this can only be RTI`s Indonesian service at 14-15, 205 degrees from Tainan, so off the back would be 25 degrees, close enough to USward (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** TURKEY. VOT English from 1330, March 27 tuned at 1404 on 12035, just barely audible but modulation seems OK, playing annoying multi-lingual ID filler. Much better signal on // 15300 but clashing for the last day with stronger France producing fast SAH. The DX Corner has been missing for the past two Saturdays, so surely back today, and may have just missed it. Will have to demand the audio later, but as of 1815, still availablizing only yesterday`s broadcasts.

From March 28, this broadcast shifts to 1230-1322v, and back to last summer`s frequencies 15450 and 15520 at 310 and 252 degrees azimuth respectively, so the former aims USward and both should be QRM-free (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO attempted monitoring March 26: before 2000 I noticed there was no signal at all from WWCR-1 on 15825; usually there is at least a poor backscatter one. This bodes ill; 13845 audible. 2055 routine recheck for WOR`s Friday 2030 airing, 7465 also absent, so WWCR-1 is MIA, and still off after 2100 when Frencuencia al Día would have aired. Did not check in the evening for 3215, but at 1419 March 27, 15825 was back in business with preacher. And at 1459 ending the 30-minute special expanded Ask-WWCR-like show about the A-10 season. I`ve yet to catch this from the start; it would be helpful to know when to expect it.

Saturday 1330 airing of WOR on WRMI 9955: at 1353 check, WOR 1505 weak but clear, no jamming audible. Saturday 1630 on WWCR-3 12160: confirmed. But Mick Delmage reports: ``Once again this week, at 1650 UT, World of Radio on WWCR 12160 has gone into "skip mode" during the Radio Sweden report.`` Grrr.

** U S A. 15550-USB, WJHR still active, March 27 at 1417 with screaming preacher; racking up fines for every day of illegal operation? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 13845, big mushy spur from WEWN 13835, March 27 at 1423 over WWCR, the rightful occupant of 13845. At times like these I figure WEWN has not reduced its spurs at all, certainly not eliminated them as hoped (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 11715, KJES, March 27 at 1511, S9+22 perhaps with sporadic-E assist, but just barely audible modulation in Spanish. What a travesty! Don`t they realize you need both a carrier and modulation?? Barely audible something underneath, presumably usual R. Veritas relay via Vatican back to ME. From tomorrow, that clash at 15-16 will be gone, as the latter moves to 15350 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** VENEZUELA [non]. Surprised to find an RNV transmission on the air an hour earlier than previously: after I noticed Habana missing from 11760, March 27 at 1400, I tuned down to 11680, and there was big S9+25 open carrier; 1401 joined RNV in progress, program summary by the broken-English YL. Hmm, seems all the segments are about El Hugazo one way or another: the state, it`s he. First: evaluating the electrical plant; later, visiting a bolivarian school where he is greatly honored. At 1438 she was reading an attempted translation of a long polemic, MEGO. 1445 mentioning ``las niñas de Chávez``, implying I hope only that he is a father-figure, and Windows boot-up logo. Off at 1458*.

So has the 15-16 UT broadcast partly in English been moved to 14-15, or was this just another SNAFU? If it has been deliberately moved earlier, how about all the other RNV transmissions? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** VIETNAM [non]. 15195, March 27 at 1413 M&M dialog in Vietnamese, good signal I had not noticed before: it`s RFA via TINIAN at 14-15. Goodbye: tomorrow it moves to 11680, where it will collide with Venezuela q.v. via Cuba if it stays at that hour; not to mention variable-frequency KCBS (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

UNIDENTIFIED. Intruder on 15390, big multiplex ute signal at 1415 March 27, still there at 1501 and 1517. This is where we usually hear Greenville tuning up for 1630 Creole broadcast, but this signal is not as strong as GB; we have wondered whether IBB transmitters are ever still used for digital DOS traffic. In any event, this has no business within the SWBC band. I briefly heard a similar sound around 15750 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###

Thank you very much Mr Gupta for your report. We appreciate your feedback. La Voix de Djibouti is the first independant radio in the history of Djibouti. Our goal is to support the democracy and freedom of speech in one of the most autocratic and dictatorship of Eastern Africa. Again we appreciate your feedback and thank you for your information.La Voix de Djibouti

Free North Korea Radio is giving voice to a growing opposition to the dictatorship, writes David McNeill in SeoulBEGGARS HAVE returned to the streets of Pyongyang, income disparities are growing thanks to a botched currency reform, and simmering anger at the government threatens to boil over.

Ordinary North Koreans are increasingly waking from their long nightmare and blinking in the light of a once unthinkable scenario: life without ailing leader Kim Jong-il or his family of hereditary parasites."He is a hypocrite who only cares about himself," one told Free North Korea Radio (FNKR). "We would be better off without him."

Despite being vacuum-packed by the Kim dictatorship and sealed off behind a once-solid technological firewall, North Korea is increasingly leaking bad news – and much of it is coming from this Seoul-based broadcaster. Run by defector Kim Seong-Min, the small shortwave station has an apparently simple mission: to bring democracy to one of the world's most paranoid, secretive nations.

"But first we must have a free media there," says Kim. "That's what we're working on."

Carrying out that mission is dangerous, and sometimes deadly. Kim (48) is protected round the clock by two armed police bodyguards. In 2007 many of the station's original team of stringers were caught and tried as spies, then sent to labour camps – or perhaps executed. "We don't know what happened to them exactly," he says, adding that the detections "devastated" him.

"The stress of knowing that could happen again is very hard to bear. Honestly, I often just want to quit."Building up a new network of stringers took time. Today, 10 freelance journalists provide reports from behind the bamboo curtain on a retainer of about $100 (€73) a month. They include a university professor, a teacher, at least two soldiers and a North Korean security agent.

FNKR provides them with small digital recorders, which are used to record interviews, and mobile phones with signals that work across the Chinese border – Pyongyang's fledgling mobile- phone system was bought from Egypt and is incompatible with the South Korean network.

The recordings are smuggled across the Chinese border and transported back to Seoul via a network of spies.The results detonate on air during Voices of the People , where the raw views of the North's citizens – electronically distorted – are broadcast back into their own country. Brainwashed automatons in so much reporting, the people heard here emerge as thrillingly human, alive and angry.

Kim Jong-il's wealth comes from "the sweat and blood of the people", says one. Another vows to protest government policies. A defector interviewed by the station once vowed to shoot the Dear Leader. But the station's director insists that his purpose is not to incite violence.

"The world would be a better place without Kim Jong-il, of course," says Kim. "But the most important thing is not him, it's the people he rules."

Like many observers, Kim believes the looming transition of power from the North's leader, who appears to have suffered a stroke, to his son and suspected heir, Kim Jong-un, will be the regime's biggest test in a generation. "The level of consciousness of the people will be crucial," he says. "When power moved from Kim Song-il [father of the nation] to Kim Jong-il, it was considered a natural development. But people know far more about the outside world now and they're more sceptical of the leadership, so anything could happen."

The possibility of real change electrifies defectors in the South. Pyongyang's devaluation of its nearly worthless currency in December was a "turning point", says Seo Jae-pyong, another defector who runs a South Korean news service also based on mobile-phone dispatches from inside the North.

The devaluation, apparently aimed at reining in the nation's growing middle class, wiped out the meagre savings of impoverished citizens, reportedly sparked riots and even forced the leadership into making a rare apology. "That was a sign that social unrest is very deep," Seo told the Korea Times last week.

FNKR claims it helped break that story and was the first media outlet to smuggle the new currency notes out of the country, via its network of China spies, and show them to the world. But every challenge to the regime risks retaliation; another of its freelance reporters was subsequently almost caught, says Kim. "We got word just before she was to be arrested. She fled abroad and is now in Vietnam."

That story calls to mind Kim's own remarkable escape from his country of birth. The son of a poet, he worked for years as a propaganda officer for the North Korean army before being brought down by accusations of spying – one of his letters to an uncle living abroad was intercepted.

Tortured then sentenced to death, Kim jumped from a moving train taking him to his execution in 1997. Two years later he joined the 20,000 or so defectors in the South. Angry at the deception and treatment he endured, Kim campaigned for change, becoming director of the North Korean Defectors' Association and, in 2004, helping to set up FNKR.

The station was initially funded by defectors and sympathisers but the money ran out quickly and it found itself swimming against the political zeitgeist: the South's "sunshine policy" of burgeoning co-operation with its temper- amental northern neighbour meant propaganda and provo- cation was out; rapprochement was in. Squeezed between the hawks who call the sunshine policy appeasement, and the doves who support its quiet efforts towards transformation, Kim – a natural dove – leaned right.

Today, much of the funding for the broadcaster comes from Japanese activists and the US state department – at no cost to its independence, he insists.

"I'm asked about interference a lot, but it's not an issue. There has been just one clash. We ran a programme carrying testimony by defectors who spoke of their treatment – being beaten by guards at the Chinese border and so on. One defector said he was going to shoot Kim Jong-il. The Americans told us to delete that programme or they wouldn't pay."

Reports that the grip of the regime north of the border may finally be slipping have heartened him, but the stress is taking its toll. Kim says he is "exhausted" from working every day, weekends included. During our interview, his phone rings constantly.

"That was a report by someone saying that people are begging in the streets of Pyongyang," he says after one call. "Some people also drive expensive cars in the city, like Mercedes. We're trying to confirm the story." Some time this year, he wants to quit. "I'm worried all the time about these people. It's so risky what they do."

Despite the costs, broadcasters like FNKR are helping to corrode the legitimacy of the Kim regime, says Youngkwan Yoon, professor of international relations at Seoul National University. "North Korea has entered a new era of instability and uncertainty since Kim became ill. The currency devaluation was a total failure and the leaders there are feeling a lot of pressure from the citizens. So the more information the people there have, the better."

After years of shipwrecked forecasts that change is coming to his former home, Kim is making no predictions about its future. But he is hopeful. "North Koreans are humans and want the same freedoms we have. Eventually they will get them." (Irish Times via Arnaldo Slaen)

venerdì 26 marzo 2010

** EGYPT. 15710, R. Cairo Indonesian service, March 26 at 1310, quite distorted audio, plus a spur almost as strong around 15700. A weaker blob on the high side around 15720 probably from same (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MADAGASCAR [and non]. See March 25 UNIDENTIFIED report on 6135. Tried again March 26 and already weak signal as early as 1347 with no QRM; intonation sounds French, and shortly into a song. Kept going past 1400 until announcement at 1401, again sort of French but can`t be sure. More of same, mostly music, interrupted at 1407 by BBCWS English ID loop giving website, and putting a SAH on the frequency. It seems the Singapore/Kranji transmitter was just tuning up for the pending Vietnamese broadcast at 1430, but fortunately went back off at 1408. Meanwhile checked 7105 and 5010 but no trace of Madagascar or anything there.

1414 another announcement and back to `island` music. Reception was not improving as we are gaining light on this end altho gaining night on the originating end, assuming it is Antananarivo, and don`t see how it could be anything else, so mark this presumed. Their sunset today is 1456 UT. My local noise level seems higher than yesterday; just about gone by 1425, and BBC comes back on at 1429+.

The long path from Madagascar is almost all over-water, thru southern Indian Ocean, hitting only the SE corner of Australia = Victoria, and across the Pacific transiting the Equator near Kiribati. Madagascar is also the closest country to our antipodes (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** ROMANIA. 15430, RRI English with Letterbox replying to several listeners, Friday March 26 until 1252, good signal and // slightly weaker 15105. A few minutes later signing off until next English at 1800 with all its SW frequencies and satellite parameters, and only some of the frequencies for tomorrow at 1200, which will be the last one before shifting an UT hour earlier for A-10 on different channels, and once again, following this biweek of confusion, becoming less convenient for North Americans deprived of any intentional English in our mornings from RRI (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SAUDI ARABIA. 21600, BSKSA Holy Qur`an Service, March 26 at 1345, quite weak but // better 21460. The main program on 21640 had best signal, // 21505. Don`t often hear 21600 which goes off before 1400. If we had a really big opening from SA, there would be mixing products audible among all of these (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. More WORLD OF RADIO 1505 monitoring chex UT Friday March 26: 0000+ on alleged Area 51 webcast: no, just music and chat labeled Lumpy Gravy show; at 0030 on WRMI 9955, confirmed with fair signal and no jamming audible. 0100+ on ACB Radio Mainstream webcast, confirmed. 0330 on WWRB 3185: confirmed, VG signal, started at 0331. 1430 on WRMI 9955: confirmed, no jamming audible, but very weak signal between Japanese from Palau on 9950, and perpetual RTTY around 9960. Next chance is 2030 on WWCR 7465, which from next Friday will be on 15825 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GREECE. 15630, VOG with lovely Greek music and good reception, much better than Kuwait [q.v.] 11990, March 25 at 1937. Not heard after 2000, but then incoming with lesser signal on 9420.

John Babbis points out that this is a national day celebrating the Greek war of independence against the Ottoman Empire, and ERA-5 is simulcasting ERA-2 from 1300 to 0400 UT March 26 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** KUWAIT. After hearing Syrian carrier on 12085, checked 11990: R. Kuwait is not easy listening here during the 18-21 English broadcast, but got some of it March 25: at 1930 from pop song into man introducing English program ``Human Civilization`` mentioning a great Arab scholar, and an introduxion to history.

Then woman speaking clearly with lots of musical produxion; SINPO rating at best 25433. At 1948 past 2000 rock and pop music, some with a gospel-ish tinge. At 2041 more pop music; 2050 final news headlines, 2053 back to more music, 2058:30 signing off until next English broadcast tomorrow morning at 8 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MOROCCO [and non]. While RTM was inaudible around 1330 March 25 on 15341 or 15345, when I checked at 1940 there was Arabic on 15341, which supposedly switches to 15345 at 1500. Probably more slopperation, not to be relied on, but gets off Argentina`s 15345.2 in use after 1800. Unfortunately, the latter was just barely detectable today (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NETHERLANDS [non]. After Syria [q.v.] finished with 12085, I noticed a much weaker signal on 12080, March 25 at 1934, very poor with music and talk, language uncertain, ``running water`` ute QRM. Must be R. Netherlands English hour via South Africa, 330 degrees which ought to do better here, but propagation is generally poor today.

Around 2035 found much better reception of RNW via Bonaire on 21525, but both are disappearing after two more days, when the A-10 schedule shows these possibilities at 19-21: 11970 France, 11610 Rwanda, and 7425 Madagascar; also 18-20 via 15535 Germany (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SYRIA. 12085, March 25 at 1928, open carrier with whine, flutter, but unfortunately no modulation until off at 1929:15*. Surely Radio Damascus, which would have outdone Kuwait [q.v.] 11990 if they had tried. A few minutes earlier did not hear anything from Syria either on 9330 when looking for WBCQ (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO attempted monitoring Thursday March 25: scheduled on WBCQ now only at 1900-1930 Thu/Tue/Wed on 7415; at 1920 just barely audible, 1923 faded up enough to hear a familiar voice mentioning 9960 and 9930 about Radio Bar-Kulan; 9330-CUSB, which sometimes stays on past 1900, was not to be heard. WBCQ`s other transmitter was better audible on 15420-CUSB with Global Spirit Proclamation. I hope those closer to Monticello ME (but not too close) have sufficient reception on 7415 some three hours before sunset and counting.

Next scheduled airing is 2100 on WRMI, 9955: altho the frequency was vacant before then, no WRMI and no jamming either, by 2100 it was fully loaded with jamming. Tnx a lot, my friend in Habana! Better luck we hope at 0030 UT Friday; and after that at 0330 on WWRB 3185 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 13570, WINB, which has no shame, still transmitting convicted child-molesting evangelist ``Tony Alamo`` now serving a 175-year sentence at a Tucson prison, March 25 at 1935; still has worldwide outreach as he is alleging that God is unpleased with ``people walking around naked exposing their filthy flesh`` and will send them straight to hell (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 15550-USB, while I heard WJHR signing on at 1401 March 25, see earlier report, later chex around 1800, 1938 failed to find it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 9480, WTWW still/again missing around 1920 March 25, but at next tuneby 1945, PPP was back on. Later I was checking out MW reception on the original ultralight, Sony SRF-59 barefoot, and found that the dial is off allowing it to tune way below 530 kHz.

Even below the ``PN`` beacon listed at 515 kHz in Ponca City OK, I was getting Scriptures for America! Guesstimate 510 kHz, but impossible to tell on tiny analog dial. Tuning for this is extremely critical versus the backlash on the thumbwheel, unlike real MW stations, and makes no difference whether I switch to DX or local attenuation.

Must be a receiver-produced image from SW 9480 WTWW or 9980 WWCR which are // and with extremely strong overloading signals here. Will be hard to tell which, unless WTWW cuts off again and I can still hear it. But listened carefully at hourtop 2100 and 510 had a WTWW ID by Ted Randall, still ``performing equipment tests``, while no ID break at all from WWCR, at least not at this exact time (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. MW bandscan on the DX-398 at midafternoon March 25 found weaker signals overall than I get on the caradio, but at least this is direxional. One of interest appeared on 1010, between much stronger KTOK-1000 and KOKP-1020, at 2021 UT, slogan ``Rocket 10-10``, or so I thought, and oldies. Loops ENE/WSW.

I also got out the Sony SRF-59 ultralight to see how it would measure up: 1010 station barely audible, but bothered by the adjacents unlike the DX-398.

At 2030 playing Elvis` ``Now or Never``; mostly music, occasional brief announcements, no hard-sell commercials heard. Missed hourtop ID if any at 2100 but music still going rather than news.

Groundwave, has to be either Independence KS or Amarillo TX, roughly collinear with Enid. Must be recent format change as NRC AM Log 2009-2010 shows gospel for KIND, ``Grace 10-10``, and C&W for KTNZ, ``True Country``. Independence is closer but weaker, and normally it`s a stretch to pull in Amarillo even on 940. NRC pattern book shows 1010 KIND non-direxional and Amarillo with a minor lobe usward.

Bill Kurtis, TV newsman, commercial pitchman, and documentarian, originally from Independence, is an owner of KIND; glad to see he has divorced himself from dependence on gospel huxters (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###